My goal with this article is to bring CLARITY to everything I now know

and use regarding knee ability, while connecting all other training
components I believe in and use with myself and my athletes.

If I personally use it with myself or a pro athlete I train, it's in this

article.

Before we dive in, know this article is accompanied on the app as my

fullest single program EVER, giving you a precise schedule and
coaching your own form on all aspects.

The program itself is awesome, but ensuring your own duplication of

the data means you'll be a master of transforming yourself and others
for the rest of your life. This comes from studying the data below, and
sending in your own form videos through the app.

Without further ado...

STEP 1: REVERSE OUT KNEE PAIN

Step 1 is the most important step because it is the SIMPLEST. This

step alone has fixed hundreds of hopeless knee cases, and has
prevented untold pains and injuries. You can do it anytime, any day,
and if I could just get this step known and used worldwide, my life
would be a success.

Below is an overview video of Step 1, plus the other ways I have

figured out how to get Step 1 applied. Taking your time into
consideration, I have included the duration of each video in
parentheses:
• Overview (6:31)
• With A Sled (0:41)
• With a Treadmill Not Turned On (2:25)
• With a Car (2:09)
• With a Hill (0:55)
• Without Any Equipment (5:45)

My general recommendation is 300 meters if using distance, or 2

minutes straight if using time (such as with the Reverse Deadmill).
Even if you're at home with none of the options above, you can still do
Step 2, which has proven to be a valuable replacement or booster to
Step 1:

STEP 2: VMO ACTIVATION

The more active your VMOs (vastus medialis oblique), the more
protected you'll be, and the more you'll get out of all your efforts.
Hopefully this has already been achieved through Step 1, but if you
don't have access to any Step 1 methods, or in general are struggling
to develop your VMOs, this is a beautiful exercise which can be done
from anywhere:
• Overview (4:23)

In this case, the overview video happens to cover every aspect,

showing you what do if you have a slant board, how to makeshift a
slant board, and how to regress/progress for ANYONE.

A single set to burnout is the simplest recommendation, and I've

successfully used up to 100 reps straight, but if you skip Step 1, you
may perform as many as 5 sets of 20 reps, back and forth, with no
breaks, as a substitute for a sled.

STEP 3: REBALANCE THE FUNDAMENTALS

While the two steps above can be done daily, Step 3 through 5 give
best results when done twice per week, cycling through 3 different
categories:

This Overview Video (13:42) gives examples of Step 3, but more

videos and descriptions below go into deeper detail.

Twice per week (ideally Monday and Thursday), I want DIRECT knee
training. For Step 3 this means the Patrick Step Up:
• With A Gym (0:51)
• Without A Gym (6:40)
• Advanced Options (1:56)
• If bodyweight on back is easy, alternate 1x per week
Advanced Options and 1x per week Petersen version (0:52)
 • When your step ups are perfectly balanced between legs,
you can mix in 50-rep KOT Rhythm Squats (:44) no more
than 1x per week. This video (1:30) gives further form-
coaching on this advanced movement.

As great as Steps 1 and 2 are, there have been undeniable

transformation benefits to pain-free strength training with your knee
over your toes, and Step 3 is the simplest way to train this quality. No
matter the variation, this step always seems to work best by starting
each session with little-to-no weight and gradually working up to a top
set which is challenging but does NOT cause pain or failure.

As shown in the Overview for this step, on Tuesdays and Fridays I look
for ways on the basketball court to perfectly rebalance my knee skills.
For Step 3 we are only looking at the FUNDAMENTALS of this process,
so perhaps for a high jumper this would represent running with an
opposite curve - NOT the actual jump itself, which is in Step 4, and
would come after the fundamental work. The fundamental work
creates a warm-up for the maximal work, but even if maximal work is
too stressful for an athlete in rehab stages, the fundamental work
alone puts money in the bank for long-term success in the maximal
work, just as the Patrick Step Up on Mondays and Thursdays puts
money in the bank for your long-term success in the ATG Split Squat,
which is your direct knee strengthening in Step 4. Here are examples
of what I believe to be the most important gems for basketball. I'm
sure you can find corollaries for your own sport or activity:
• Don't Squeak In Practice (0:35)
• 4 Knee Position Dribbling (2:20)

In application, now would be the time to go into a sports practice or

game. Fundamentals to warm up, then competition, then continue on
with Step 4.

The final section within Step 3 is rebalancing the fundamental of your

ACCESSORY work, and this would be done on Wednesdays and
Saturdays. As shown in the Overview, this means the ATG-style
Nordic, which is the exact opposite strength of the Patrick Step Up.
Much like reversing out knee pain in Step 1, applying the ATG-style
Nordic has a lot to do with finding a setup that works. Here are the
further details on the Nordic, plus the best ways to makeshifting a
Nordic bench that I have found so far:
• Full Nordic Coaching Tutorial (14:12)
• More Info on the WHY Behind The ATG-style Nordic (12:26)
• Knee Pain Nordic Progression (0:43)
• From Home - Car/Immovable Object/Partner (4:13)

With the information above, you can help anyone, but there are still
further degrees which may be needed depending on the intensity of
your life's activities...

STEP 4: BALANCING THE MAXIMAL

For your direct knee strength, the maximal knee bending exercise I
have had the most results with is the ATG Split Squat. It is my
personal favorite exercise of all time. I train this exercise on Mondays
and Thursdays, immediately after my Patrick Step Ups.

The maximal knee pressure in my sport is DUNKING, and Tuesdays

and Fridays I work on rebalancing my jumps (Two-Foot Tuesday, One-
Foot Friday).

And if Nordics are the fundamental of knee accessory, your hip-flexors

relate most to the maximal effort, because the stronger you get your
legs, the more strength you need to pick them up! I train these on
Wednesdays and Weekends along with my Nordics.

The Step 4 Overview Video (12:26) gives a glimpse, but we really

need to break these categories down much further...

ATG Split Squat:

• For Beginners (0:55)
• With A Gym (0:46)
• Without A Gym (6:51)
• Top To Bottom Coaching Breakdown (9:13)

Like the Patrick Step Up, I have found best results by starting each
session with little to no weight, and only increasing load until a top set
is reached which provides challenge WITHOUT pain or failure.
Dunking may only be used in basketball, but you can see the forces
involved, and from there you can figure out what the most intense
forces are in your own sport:
• Two-Foot Dunk Balance (12:39)
• One-Foot Dunk Balance (12:12)
• What Steps to Take on the Road from Not Dunking to
Dunking (5:56)

The third section of Step 4 is training your hip flexors. Like Reversing
Out Knee Pain and Nordics, this step has to do with mastery of your
equipment or lack thereof. In the Overview you saw how to use your
own weight to work on the L-Sit, but that's not the only way: this Hip
Flexor Options video (2:39) shows you the various ways we train our
hip-flexors at ATG.

While Step 4 may be the maximal qualities, there is an OPTIONAL 5th

factor which I use in athletes seeking more "juice" - and that factor is
the subject of safely OVERLOADING the knees. Let's take a look...

STEP 5: BULLETPROOFING

The Overview Video (8:37) shows my most stable bulletproofing tools,

but let's break it down further...

Twice per week after ATG Split Squats, I "finish off" my legs by
working on the KOT Squat:
• With A Gym (0:48)
• Without A Gym (2:35)

Twice per week right after my dunking, I do a small amount of

bulletproofing plyometrics:
• Bounding Balance (3:14)
• Landing Rebalancing - GREAT With Minimal Space (0:27)
• Depth Drops and Depth Jumps (3:24)
• Why I PREFER 2-up/1-down Jumps over Depth Jumps
(0:26)

And twice per week with Nordics and hip flexors, I work on my calves
using both Standing and KOT Calf Raises per this video tutorial (1:41).
That is the end of the Steps 3 through 5.

While Steps 3 through 5 are made up of three different sections, each

done only twice per week , I believe ALL training sessions of ANY kind
should finish with Step 6 and 7...

STEP 6: TIBIALIS

Much like Step 1, if this step alone were understood and used
worldwide, millions of people would be able to avoid shin splints, knee
pain, and chronic ankle issues, and my life would be a success.

The Step 6 Overview Video (1:57) covers the simplest way of doing
Tibialis Raises, but for more understanding of ankle training, check out
my two most recent videos covering my full approach:
• Without a Gym Ankle Strength Circuit (2:44)
• Full Ankle Program (15:20)

And like Step 6, Step 7 can also safely be done daily!

STEP 7: FLEXIBILITY

For fullest flexibility knowledge, consult your personal flexibility coach,

the GOAT Jeff Wolf aka @theflexibull. He is the man behind all ATG
flexibility.

Personally, I don't want to stretch. In fact I hate doing any drill or

exercise that I don't think is crucial. BUT I have found results to be
undeniably better when these 5 points of flexibility are in:
• Overview (7:02)
• Home Calf Stretch (1:56)
• Elephant Walk (1:31)
• Couch Stretch (2:57)
• Piriformis and Pancake Stretches (3:07)

That is the end of the 7 Steps of Knee Ability For Life. But we're not
done yet...

Let's start with MEASURABLES. While the above data is great, it means
nothing if you don't actually put in the work and reach the destination.
So here is my up-to-date list of knee GOALS. These are not impossible
numbers to achieve. Rather, these are the numbers I have found
possible for ANY athlete to achieve - regardless of genetics - simply by
putting in the work, yet altogether these add up to superhuman knee
ability. I was a shitty athlete for over 20 years. Here's how I broke
free:

1. Patrick Step Up 100% bodyweight on 6 inch box for 10 reps

2. ATG Split Squat 66% bodyweight on flat ground for 5 reps
3. KOT Squat to floor with perfect control
4. Flat Nordic
5. L-Sit 30 seconds
6. Single-leg KOT and Single-leg Standing Calf Raises with 25% of
bodyweight for 10 reps
7. Maximum vertical jump close to even between both sides of the
body: right-left plant to left-right plant off two feet, and right leg to
left leg off one foot.
8. Bounding 30 feet in 3 bounds for all 6 forms of bounding
9. Dumbbell Tibialis Raise (1:03 <linked a video in case you missed it
in the Full Ankle Program above): 15% of bodyweight for 10 reps
10. And all 5 Flexibility goals achieved and maintained:
• Calf to no stretch
• Elephant Walk palms to floor
• Couch Stretch shin and shoulders to wall
• Piriformis Stretch head to foot
• Pancake head to floor

Of course you can go BEYOND any of the numbers above, but those
are numbers I have found realistically attainable for any male athlete.
For females I shoot for 80% of the numbers above.

You will find all the above AND MORE on the app.

The "more" I'm referring to is further HIP and UPPER BODY

strengthening.

90+% of the time, I stick ONLY to what you've studied above, but
many athletes will desire more frequent hip and upper body work than
I personally do, and since I take these areas very seriously, I have
included them as optional in the Knee Ability For Life Program.
The first common area many athletes want to utilize is SQUATS.

This 1 minute 2 second video shows the style of squatting I have

found best for knee ability:
• Right after ATG Split Squats
• Front THEN Back Squat on each set
• Using as much heel elevation as needed to keep good posture
Then my 2 minute 28 second "Squat School" video teaches a smooth
progression from how to get ANYONE into squats, to how to challenge
even the strongest knees on earth.

I LOVE squats, but I rarely use them because my own body is an

experiment for the sake of helping others, and I only use what I
believe is absolutely crucial to getting the job done. From my
experience with thousands of athletes, double-legged squats are an
awesome tool, but Patrick Step Ups and ATG Split Squats are a safer
and surer route to superhuman knees and athleticism, so ALL my
athletes perform Patrick Step Ups and ATG Split Squats, but I do not
force any clients to squat. Squatting is an optional step after ATG
Splits on Mondays and Thursdays.

The next most common area many athletes want to utilize is Deadlifts
and other hip strengthening exercises. I have personally found the
following 3 exercises to be sufficient to build world-class hip strength,
while getting world-class mobility in the process:

The ATG-style Seated Goodmorning (8:57)

• Abs to bench
• Heels in front of knees
• Lower Back not losing curve
• Goal is 100% of bodyweight for 5 reps

The ATG-style Romanian Deadlift (3:08)

• Lower back below parallel
• Lower back not losing curve
• Ankles behind knees in the bottom position
• Goal is 200% of bodyweight for 5 reps

Single-Leg 45-degree Back Extension (1:46)

 • Full Hold
• Full Extension
• Goal is 100% of bodyweight for 5 reps

These 3 exercises provide valuable measurement for me because

together they make up the full strength curve of the posterior chain:
• The Seated Goodmorning trains the hips in fuller bend than any
other exercise. No other exercise challenges gravity as hard with
the torso as close to the thigh.
• The Romanian Deadlift challenge the MID position: notice the
torso angle in the bottom position: 90 degree hip bend! Whereas
the Seated Goodmorning thigh-to-torso angle goes to full 180
degrees (flat), the Romanian Deadlift hits the halfway point. The
reason the RDL goal is twice the weight of the Seated
Goodmorning is simply because in the RDL the weight is close to
the center of gravity, whereas in the Seated Goodmorning the
weight is on the back and thus an entirely different leverage as
you go down.
• The Single-Leg Back Extension then trains your hip extension at
0 degrees of bend! In this case, the bottom has no difficulty, and
the TOP becomes the difficult position. Much like the RDL, the
weight is close to the center of gravity, however: it is only one
leg at a time, so 50% of RDL weight has proven to be the most
workable number.

These 3 exercises consistently jack up even the most plateaued of

deadlifts, yet these same three exercises have fixed hundreds of cases
of back pain in clients who have come to me, because they actually
detect and CORRECT the weakest link.

But there's a bigger reason why many big deadlifters have injured
their backs bending down to pick up a pencil...

The Jefferson Curl is actually the place to START with the posterior
chain, because the ability of the lower back in the rounded position is
usually the weakest link, and thus makes you at risk every time you
lose strength in a set of any other posterior chain exercise.

I have successfully coached myself and others in the Jefferson Curl to

100% of bodyweight (0:23), but this exercise should be started VERY
light, and you should understand this form video (3:28) before
starrting it..

For the sport of basketball, I have not found any of these 4 posterior
chain exercises to be mandatory, but now you at least know my
strategy of using these 4 exercises in precise ratio as a more athletic
and bulletproofing alternative to traditional deadlifting.

I've seen many guys increase deadlift without getting more athletic,
and still being highly vulnerable to lower back injury, but I've never
seen an improvement in my Posterior Chain Formula not lead to
increased athleticism and reduction of chances of lower back injury.

Here's a re-cap of the ratios and form standards:

• Jefferson Curl wrists below toes without knees bending = 100%
• Seated Goodmorning abs to bench without back rounding =
100%
• Romanian Deadlift lower back below parallel without rounding
and knees behind ankles = 200%
• Single-leg Back Extension to full extension and hold = 100%

So for application, I would rather see an athlete use the Jefferson Curl
twice per week until there is some proficiency, then start cycling
through training each of the 4 movements once every 14 days, thus
training the posterior chain twice per week, but only one movement
per session. Each movement improves the next!

Lastly, understand that increasing the strength of your posterior chain

is NOT a good thing if your ankles and knees can't handle it, but since
my training addresses the ankles and knees so heavily, the longer you
train, the more you'll be able to benefit from hip extension strength
increase, with strength increases immediately showing results in your
speed and jumping (since your ankles and knees can handle the new
force!).

The article is almost complete. The final step is the UPPER BODY!

Much like Squats and the Posterior Chain Formula, I rarely do any
upper body training, but many of my athletes do, so I'm teaching it to
you here, and I've included it in your weekly Knee Ability For Life
schedule on the app as optional...

The simplest foundation is being great at full range of motion Dips and
Chins (4:30). For most sports, 10 perfect reps in each is sufficient, but
for some contact sports you may add weight with a dip/chin belt and
get even stronger than that.

The next area that commonly needs attention is the stability of the
shoulders and the strength of their Decelerators. External
Rotations (0:52) and Powell Raises (0:35) do the best job of training
and measuring ability in these areas. Both should be easy for 10 reps
with 10% of your bodyweight for ANY human, but for contact sports
and throwing sports you should get even stronger!

The final main area I find lots of athletic potential in is thoracic (upper
spine) mobility and strength: the Cross Bench Pullover (0:35) to 25%
of bodyweight for 10 reps and the Trap-3 Raise (1:02) to 10% of
bodyweight each hand for 10 reps accomplishes this task.

For athletes with weaker upper bodies, I am likely to assign extra work
in the form of Neck Presses (0:45), but even without a gym you can
get extra upper body strengthening with a superset of Full-Range
Push-ups and Band Pullaparts (3:48).

Now you know my full understanding of training, as it applies to knees

AND BEYOND!

EVERYTHING above is now live on the app in a precise schedule, so

that you can get my full knowledge in an easy-to-APPLY format, with
your own form coached along the way!

Yours in Gains,
Ben